## Intelligence/propaganda/security/internet/cyberwar ##Charlie Hebdo and the Profiteers of TragedyThe ideologues of state terrorism are already sharpening their swords, which resemble pens, eager to slash their way into the kind of "moral clarity" their kind cannot find in peacetime.

CIA's Hidden Hand in 'Democracy' GroupsDocuments from the Reagan presidential library reveal that two major institutions promoting "democracy" and "freedom" — Freedom House and National Endowment for Democracy — worked hand-in-glove, behind-the-scenes, with a CIA propaganda expert in the 1980s.

That's not all. Many of these megaprojects (such as Japan's maglev, California's high-speed train, and Nicaragua's transoceanic canal) are too ambitious and will not be finished, leaving a legacy of wasted money and resources, environmental destruction, and disappointment. The age of megaprojects is finished. -- RF

Harrington now runs a campaign called Kick it Over, which aims to combat what it describes as "the fantasy world of neoclassical economics — a faith-based religion of perfect markets, enlightened consumers and infinite growth that shapes the fates of billions."

The extra expenditure comes on top of the initial outlay of 95.9 trillion yen, bringing the total amount of this fiscal year's general-account budget spending to 99 trillion yen, highlighting Japan's struggle to fix dire public finances.Japan reorients space effort to bolster security, drive exportsJapan is shifting its space program toward potential military uses in a new policy hailed on Friday as a "historic turning point" by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wants to strengthen defense and boost exports.

As I've noted on a number of occasions, space programs are gradually becoming more military-oriented. -- RF